Security Council extends mandates of UN peace operations in Libya, Colombia through next September

New York, Sept 14 (IBNS): By unanimous agreement on Thursday, the Security Council extended the mandates of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and the Organization’s Verification Mission in Colombia.

Yemen: UN envoy asks Security Council for more support ‘to move back’ to the negotiating table

New York, Sept 12 (IBNS): United Nations Special Envoy Martin Griffith told the Security Council on Tuesday that he never expected an easy mission when he convened Intra-Yemeni Consultations in Geneva last week, for which the Houthis delegation failed to show up.

Pervasive corruption costs $2.6 trillion; disproportionately affects ‘poor and vulnerable’ says UN chief

New York, Sept 11 (IBNS): Corruption is present in all countries, “rich and poor, North and South, developed and developing,” United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council on Monday, at a session on tackling corruption for the sake of peace and international security.

Security Council takes up Nicaragua crisis, with some reservations

New York, Sept 6 (IBNS): Political turmoil in Nicaragua could pose a threat to the security of countries across Central America, the UN Security Council heard on Wednesday.

Security Council extends mandate of UN Interim Force in Lebanon for a year

New York, Aug 31 (IBNS): In a unanimous action, the United Nations Security Council extended the mandate of the Organization’s peacekeeping mission in Lebanon until 31 August next year.

As conflicts become more complex, ‘mediation is no longer an option; it is a necessity’, UN chief tells Security Council

New York, Aug 30 (IBNS): As war and the mediation of peace have become increasingly complex, innovative thinking is needed to save and improve the lives of millions, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council on Wednesday.

UN chief calls for Security Council to work with Myanmar to end ‘horrendous suffering’ of Rohingya refugees

New York, Aug 29 (IBNS): Despite the efforts made by the United Nations over the past year to help create safeguards for all communities in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, it is clear that conditions are still not suitable for the safe, voluntary, and sustainable return of Rohingya refugees to their home, Secretary-General António Guterres said on Tuesday.

UN Security Council urged to act against ‘worst-case scenario’ Syria’s war-battered Idlib

New York, Aug 29 (IBNS): A further escalation of violence in Syria’s Idlib governorate could create a humanitarian emergency “at a scale not yet seen through this crisis,” a senior United Nations aid official warned the Security Council on Tuesday.

UN to convene Yemen talks early next month in Geneva, envoy tells Security Council

New York, Aug 3 (IBNS): The United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen announced on Thursday that after two years of stalled talks on resolving the crisis in the country, he plans to invite the warring parties to Geneva on 6 September for a round of peace consultations.

Despite challenges and ‘unfinished business’, Colombia celebrates progress towards lasting peace, Security Council hears

New York, July 27 (IBNS): Amid a long series of challenges, the implementation of the peace process in Colombia is moving forward and has achieved important milestones in recent months, according to a new report by the United Nations Secretary-General presented to the Security Council on Thursday.

'Status quo in Libya cannot be sustained', UN Envoy tells Security Council

New York, July 17 (IBNS): Despite encouraging signs on the political and humanitarian front, efforts must be sustained and intensified in Libya to avoid further “economic collapse, the breakdown of public services, and more frequent and intense outbreaks of violence”, said the United Nations Special Envoy for the country on Monday.

Security Council downsizes AU-UN mission in Darfur, eying eventual exit

New York, July 14 (IBNS): The Security Council on Friday extended the mandate of the joint United Nations-African Union peacekeeping operation in Sudan’s Darfur until the end of June next year, but reduced the number of troops deployed in the field with an eye towards the mission’s eventual exit.

Security Council imposes arms embargo on South Sudan

New York, July 14 (IBNS): The Security Council on Friday narrowly passed a measure aimed at stopping the flow of weapons to armed groups in South Sudan, with those Members in favour saying it would protect civilians, while abstainers voiced concerns that it would undermine the ongoing peace process in the world’s youngest country.   

Fragile countries risk being ‘stuck in a cycle of conflict and climate disaster,’ Security Council told

New York, July 12 (IBNS): Climate change ­– and the shortages of water and food that come from it – is becoming increasingly linked to conflict, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council on Wednesday, warning that countries most vulnerable to drought and crop failure are also most vulnerable to conflict and fragility.

Security Council hails ‘historic and significant’ joint peace declaration by Ethiopia and Eritrea

New York, July 11 (IBNS): The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday described the Joint Declaration, signed by the leaders of Eritrea and Ethiopia, as “a historic and significant” move with “far-reaching consequences” for the whole Horn of Africa region and beyond.